New Zealand’s top business leaders up for auction

Entrepreneurs and CEOs of
companies, from Coca-Cola to Trelise Cooper,
Air New Zealand to The Warehouse will be
taking part in a unique charity auction for ChildFund New
Zealand.

Twelve New Zealand business leaders will
put their time and business nous up for auction, giving
Kiwis the rare opportunity to learn from and network with
the often-inaccessible leader of their choice over a
one-on-one business lunch.

All proceeds from the
winning bids will go towards ChildFund’s Livelihoods
Appeal in Sri Lanka, which will provide micro-loans and
business mentoring to families living in extreme poverty.

“We are
delighted to have the generous support of such
well-respected and successful New Zealand business
leaders,” says Paul Brown, CEO of ChildFund New
Zealand.“Bidders will have the satisfaction of knowing
that their winning bids go towards giving a hand up to
vulnerable families in Sri Lanka, while they will have an
opportunity to be given their own hand up. We expect to hear
great stories come out of these meetings.”

Whether
established business owners, budding entrepreneurs, fresh
graduates or corporate rising stars, auction winners will
have the rare chance to get first-hand business insights
from the decision makers at the top of some of New
Zealand’s most-renowned businesses.

Alastair de
Raadt, Managing Director of Cadbury and a ChildFund New
Zealand Board member, says he is thrilled to be involved in
the initiative and implores others in his position to be
generous in sharing knowledge with emerging leaders.

“If any of my experiences can be of value to others
then I’m happy to share them; simple as that. We should
all be the same,” says de Raadt.

Jacqueline
Ireland, CEO of Colmar Brunton, agrees that knowledge
sharing should be encouraged and is a vital element of
success in any industry.“I am a firm believer in the
importance of support and mentoring for new and start-up
businesses,” says Ireland.

“Passion will take
you a long way, but working with someone who has experienced
the ups and downs of running a business is so valuable, and
saves a lot of wasted time and effort.”

All funds
raised from the auction will be multiplied three times
through the New Zealand Aid Programme.

A small pilot
test of ChildFund’s micro-loans project rolled out in 2009
proved highly successful, resulting in families raising
their income, with some more than doubling it. Now it’s
being implemented for 3,000 families - all fully funded by
New Zealanders.

The project currently involves 26
communities and is designed to be self-sustaining, with the
long-term goal set to create thriving family-business
initiatives that have the potential to expand and continue
to benefit the entire community.

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